DRAP CEO appointment summary sent to PM

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has forwarded a summary for appointment of a permanent chief executive officer (CEO) for the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

Federal Secretary for Health Nadeem Mahbub told The News, “The delay in appointment is likely due to the clearance process for the candidate(s) recommended by the Health Ministry. Once this matter is resolved, the new CEO will be officially notified."

He clarified that all DRAP directors are fully authorized to make decisions within their respective divisions, asserting that there is no regulatory deadlock at the authority.

On the other hand, a major disruption in medicine availability is also unfolding due to the expiry of SRO 134, which allowed hospitals to import essential medicines that were either unregistered or unavailable in Pakistan. The failure to renew this exemption has resulted in hospitals being denied No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for importing crucial drugs used in ICUs, cancer treatments, and infectious diseases.

Healthcare professionals warn that patients will be the primary victims, forced to either source these drugs on their own—often from black markets where quality is questionable—or go without essential treatment. With DRAP in administrative limbo, no action has been taken to extend the SRO, leaving hospitals helpless in securing life-saving medicines.